On May 30, 2009, the Senate and the House adopted HJR 5 that creates the School Success Task Force to examine issues and make recommendations related to current State Board of Education policies regarding suspensions, expulsions, and truancies including without limitation the following:

Studying how current State Board policies impact student’s statewide;
Studying how school districts create, interpret, and administer their own disciplinary policies;
Hearing testimony from school officials, parents, students, and community-based providers on the effects of suspension and expulsion policies; and
Studying annual reports on the number of children who enroll in school after being suspended and expelled, by age, race, and education level.

The Task Force is charged with:

Identifying different strategies and approaches to help educators work effectively with the families of students of color;
Promote professional development and other learning opportunities that will equip school personnel with the skills and knowledge necessary to reduce factors that often contribute to suspensions, expulsions, and truancies;
Support community-based organizations and parents in their ongoing efforts to encourage youths to adopt and practice positive social behaviors that will all them to be successful in school and in their communities;
Holding public hearings in every legislative district it deems necessary and report its findings to the General Assembly.

HJR 7 of the 97th General Assembly has been introduced to extend the Task Force into the 97th General Assembly and the reporting date to December 31, 2011.